I’ll be honest with you. I do like a flutter. It doesn’t matter if it’s the horses, the dogs, football or two worms crawling up the garden path. I’m happy to place a wager. One thing I won’t do, however, is back my team to win or lay them to lose. The reason? Passion gets in the way. Unless you’re a cold-hearted punter, the chances are that your bias towards one team will cloud your judgment, thus rendering any bet worthless.
Before Chesterfield’s game at Carlisle on Saturday, however, I did something rash. I placed a bet on the game.
Now, just in case my wife is reading this, I can assure you that it was nothing huge. I placed a small amount of money on an away win and then, as a bit of insurance, another couple of quid on a 1-1 draw. I was sure we wouldn’t lose. This prediction was based on a number of factors, not least that we’d brought in some new players and that their introduction had kick started the team’s season (see last week’s blog). Importantly, it also took on board the enthusiasm that I’d seen all over the Internet, particularly Twitter, from both supporters and players alike.
What this prediction did not take into account was two things: the opposition, of which I knew virtually nothing. And lady luck, of which I know plenty. As it turned out, the 2-1 reverse was a kick in the stones on a number of levels. Not only did Chesterfield FC miss out on the chance to scramble their way out of the relegation zone despite playing really quite well but also my bets went up in smoke.
My mistake was to believe that via Twitter I had some magical inside knowledge to add to what I had seen with my own eyes in recent weeks. What I didn’t factor in was that Carlisle are a half decent side and that when Chesterfield needed a bit of luck towards the end of the game, it evaded them.
And here is my point. Twitter is a platform for uncensored, personal opinion and it has brought fans and players closer together. On Saturday it lost me money but much good has also come of it.
In the good old days we used to bump into the players in the pubs and clubs of Chesterfield after the game on a Saturday night. Then, over a pint, you could exchange views on where things went right or wrong.
That’s not so easy these days. What Twitter has done is replicate that to some extent by giving supporters a window back into the players’ lives. And I believe that’s a good thing, even if it helped to cloud my pre-match judgment.
I believe Twitter is a good thing because it gives players a voice that is not controlled by the football club. For supporters the result is genuine answers to the rumours that we hear and honest appraisals for defeats that we see. The latter was certainly the case on Saturday.
Having put the equivalent of the commentator’s curse (the blogger’s kybosh?) on young James Hurst before the game by saying (on this very website no less) how well he’d been doing since arriving from West Brom, with about five minutes of the game remaining his weak back gifted Carlisle’s Francoise Zoko the chance to win the game, which he duly did.
From 1-0 up Chesterfield had lost. And because I’d been given false hope, I was pretty devastated.
My frustration soon abated though. Not long after the end of the game Hurst himself posted a short but telling tweet that read simply: “Made a horrible error.”
It’s hardly a confession that will rock the football world but at least he was big enough to acknowledge the gaffe in public. It made me remember that he’s only human and that humans make mistakes. And that most of the time they make them unintentionally. I liked the kid again. I liked football again. And, to a certain extent, the pain of defeat went away as you could tell it was hurting him as much as it had hurt us.
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For all its ills, its squabbles, its silliness, its ignorance and its sub-standard inside information for the betting punter, social media – and Twitter in particular – has managed to undo one of the curses of the modern game: it has helped to make footballers human again.
For that alone it should be bronzed and mounted.
By Will Strauss. As well as writing about his first love, Chesterfield FC, he is currently coming up with articles about cooker spares for the Leeds-based appliances company ASD.
Tottenham missed the Champions League boat this season after a shocking run of form in the last third of the season has cost them dear. Harry Redknapp must be forever wondering what if, especially given the amount of points they have thrown away in particular at White Hart Lane.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Spurs blogs that includes supporters deserve better than watching 2nd string; where do Van der Vaart and Tottenham go from here, while Adebayor talks up move to White Hart Lane.
We also look at the best Spurs articles around the web this week.
*
First Gallas, now Adebayor?
Would Spurs fans really shed any tears over his exit?
‘Six of the Best’ Loan Deals Of The Premier League Season
Tottenham join Barca in the pursuit of Damiao
Tottenham fans surely deserve better than a 2nd string XI?
NEW Tottenham strips revealed…or more web imposters?
Is he really a transfer necessity for Tottenham Hotspur?
Could Tottenham and Arsenal benefit from a little faith?
Where do Rafa van der Vaart and Spurs go from here?
A transfer bargain that North London duo should attempt to sign up?
Distraction perhaps, but vital to Tottenham’s transfer appeal?
*Best of Web*
And the winner is – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2
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Tottenham Hotspur That Was The Season That Was – The Players – Tottenham On My Mind
Gazza – Dear Mr Levy
Harry’s game – Martin Cloake Online
“It’s Magnificent To Be In Europe, If We’re Not In Europe…. We’re Nothing. We’re nothing – Harry Hotspur
If there is one thing that is sure to divide football fans across the nation, it is whether they think Pro Evolution or FIFA is better. For many years the two franchises have been battling head to head for our loyalties. But which one is best?
For me, there is no question.
It has to be Pro Evolution.
Growing up in the Playstation years, Pro Evo or International Superstar Soccer as it was known then was the only choice. Konami consistently delivered the ultimate football game year after year with its ISS franchise. Its realism at the time was unparalleled by FIFA’s rather lousy efforts.
ISS prided itself on a faithful reproduction of the beautiful game; something that it did with huge success throughout the nineties with a number of seminal titles.
The series did a great job reproducing player likenesses. Despite the somewhat limited capabilities of the Playstation, players such as Carlos Valderrama, Paul Gascoigne, Gabriel Batistuta and Roberto Baggio are all instantly recognisable in their virtual form.
While they may have been recognisable, the players weren’t able to be given real names as EA Sport’s FIFA series held the official licence. To counteract this, Konami had to be clever in coming up with player names and they came up with some real crackers.
My personal favourites include Roberto Larcos (Roberto Carlos), Geags (Giggs), Sheallar (Shearer), Shereng (Sheringham) and Ronarid (Ronaldo). While these names may be silly, they have a certain nostalgic charm about them which is endearing to those that played the game.
On the other hand, FIFA had the real player names but were a franchise rather reliant on gimmicks rather than substance. For example, in FIFA International Soccer, you could run away from the referee if you got a yellow card. If you did so, the referee would chase after you and eventually give you a red card. While infinitely funny, it didn’t distract from the fact that FIFA International Soccer was not very good.
Similarly, FIFA 97 was also rubbish despite having an indoor pitch. The gameplay was Pascal Cygan slow and suffered from a glitch where you could easily block a goalkeeper’s kick and score a simple goal.
As FIFA went backwards, ISS went from strength to strength. 1999 saw the release of ISS Pro Evolution which was the first game to feature Konami’s much heralded Master League mode. In Master League, you take control of a team of generic players in the hope of building a dynasty.
You earn points by winning games and with those points, you can make transfers.
The introduction of the master league mode to the ISS/Pro Evo franchise has seen many people spend countless hours in front of the TV trying to assemble their own virtual Manchester City.
However, the next generation of consoles saw FIFA close the gap on ISS as it morphed into the more recognisable Pro Evolution format.
Recognising the threat for Pro Evolution, EA Sports put a lot more of its considerable resources into improving the FIFA franchise and it began to pay dividends. Not only were they continuing to sell more than Pro Evolution, the actual games were getting better as well.
FIFA 2001 was the first title to come out on the new PS2 platform and it was a highly polished effort by EA Sports. While the gameplay wasn’t as immersive as its Konami counterpart Pro Evolution Soccer, it did boast fantastic graphics and animation which were to be a hallmark of both titles in the PS2 era.
There weren’t much to choose between successive Playstation 2 offerings from either side as both games had their plusses and minuses.
However, this all changed when the games moved into the present generation of consoles.
Konami were simply not equipped to deal with the step-up in power from the PS2 and Xbox to the PS3 and Xbox360 and as a result, their product took a massive hit.
Pro Evolution 2008 was Konami’s first effort on this generation of console and it was disappointingly lazy. The game showed little improvement from its PS2 predecessor and was hampered by its shoddy presentation and online slowdown.
FIFA’s debut offering on the Xbox 360 and PS3 was FIFA 08 and it didn’t disappoint. The game was a typically slick offering with a deeply immersive football experience. The franchise introduced its now ubiquitous ‘Be A Pro’ mode in which you take control of a single player while attempting to complete certain tasks based on your performance.
It used to be FIFA which was trailing in Pro Evo’s wake but now it was the other way round. Konami had to up their game fast or risk losing their devoted fanbase.
And they did so with last year’s game. Konami improved the presentation of the game with a complete overhaul of the game’s menu system along with some licensed music which had been previously lacking.
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The game can no longer make the claim as being the most realistic football game on the market: that title goes to FIFA, but it is by far and away the more entertaining of the two.
And so we come to this year’s games. This month saw the release Pro Evo 2011 and FIFA 11 to the masses and the games will do little to sway people on either camp to change sides.
Pro Evo has seen the most radical change this year with the introduction of a new passing system which requires players to use a power bar to determine the strength and accuracy of their pass. The system takes a little while to get used to but in the end, it feels excellent as you are able to thread balls that you could otherwise never do.
FIFA meanwhile has added very little this year as it needs relatively little done to it. EA Sports have added the option of playing in goal in this year’s ‘Be A Pro’ mode which is no doubt a nod towards the ability to play full eleven a side games online.
I’ve nailed my colours to the mast at the beginning of the article and Pro Evo will be arriving through my letterbox in a matter of days. But overall, it really does come down to personal choice to which game you think is better.
Which game do you prefer?
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Landon Donovan has admitted that he would be open to another loan spell at Everton in the future, as he concludes his short-term deal against Blackpool on Saturday.
The United States international has spent the last six weeks at Goodison Park on loan from LA Galaxy, the second time he has done so, and would be keen to replicate this in the future.
“I would approach it the same way I have approach it each year,” Donovan told Sky Sports.
“One: Am I physically able to do it. Two: Does he (David Moyes) want me to come back. Three: Do I feel like I can contribute and benefit the club?
“I’m not coming back if it is just for me to have an experience. I have too much respect for the club, manager and players to do that.
“The expectation is very clear if I come back and if I feel I can do that and they want me to come back then I would absolutely do it.
“I know I’ll be back here but I don’t know if I’ll be back as a player, but I hope I will.
“I don’t think my agent would appreciate me saying this is the only club I’d come back to because he’d lose some leverage in negotiations, but I can’t imagine playing anywhere else.
“There is something magical which captures you when you walk into Goodison and it doesn’t let you go,” he concluded.
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Donovan will return to his homeland after the FA Cup tie with Blackpool on Saturday.
Rangers extended their advantage atop the Scottish Premier League to four points with a 4-0 win over Hearts on Saturday.Rivals Celtic will play Kilmarnock on Sunday and a win would close the gap back to one point with both sides on equal games.
Three first-half goals set Walter Smith’s side on their way before a comfortable second half at Ibrox.
It took 23 minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock as Croatian attacker Nikica Jelavic struck low through Hearts goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.
In the space of five minutes just before half time, Rangers took the game away from their opponents.
Attacker Kyle Lafferty was played behind the defence after strong work from Steven Whittaker and he made no mistake with a neat finish.
Steven Davis made it three a minute before half time when he headed home a deflected cross from Greg Wylde.
Hearts were reduced to 10 men on 62 minutes when a poor challenge from Eggert Jonsson saw him shown a straight red card.
Midfielder Ryan Stevenson was unlucky to find his own net to wrap up the scoring seven minutes before the end.
Hearts are five points clear of fourth-placed Dundee United, who recorded a 4-0 win over Motherwell thanks to a hat-trick from striker Jon Daly.
After dominating the majority of the first half, United had to wait 36 minutes to find the opener through Daly.
But they only had to wait seven minutes for a second as Daly headed home to complete his brace before half time.
A fine volley saw him get his hat-trick early in the second half before Keith Watson made it 4-0 two minutes from the end.
Motherwell sit in sixth, three points adrift of Kilmarnock.
In the relegation play-off group, Hamilton Academical moved within three points of safety with a 1-0 win over 10-man Hibernian.
Dutchman Nigel Hasselbaink scored the only goal of the game seven minutes before half time to extend their unbeaten run to four games, while they benefitted from the dismissal of Hibs defender Francs Dickoh.
St Mirren are only three points clear of the Accies, but hold an eight-goal better goal difference after they lost 1-0 to Inverness.
Terry Butcher’s Inverness were reduced to 10 men in the 71st minute when Russell Duncan was sent off for retaliating to a challenge from Lee Mair, but that did not stop Adam Rooney coming off the bench to score the winner in the 85th minute.
Elsewhere, St Johnstone maintained the pressure on them with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen.
Carlos Salcido showed enough on his debut to confirm he will be a big hit with Fulham, according to manager Mark Hughes.
The Mexico full-back made his debut during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers and made an immediate impression after providing the cross for Clint Dempsey's second-half equaliser.
The 30-year-old defender arrived at Craven Cottage in a £1.6million deal from PSV Eindhoven towards the end of the summer transfer window.
"I was really pleased with Carlos' debut against Blackburn," Hughes told the club's official website.
"He hasn't had a lot of time with the team in training but obviously he very quickly understood what the game was about after a nervous couple of minutes.
"He looked like he was really enjoying himself at the end of the match and produced a great ball for the equaliser.
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As the ever crazy January transfer window rolls on, there is one player who should seriously be turning heads in England, yet despite a few tepid links not much has been done. This player is Real Madrid fringe player Esteban Granero, who at 24 years of age just wants to play football and is finally willing to seek a move away from the Bernabeu to do this.
Granero possesses a great many attributes, and can provide an attacking flare from the middle of the park, or even play just behind the central striker. Add to this an engine that never seems to stop, not to mention a very impressive work rate and you have a player that seems a steal for around the £8 million Real Madrid are willing to let him go for.
The player has so far been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal, and judging from what both have displayed this season, the purchase of Granero is not something that is beyond the realms of possibility.
It is also possible that Real would consider a loan deal for the remainder of the season with the option to buy in the summer, as the player features in Mourinho’s plans about as much as losing yet another Clasico does.
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Liverpool who are enjoying somewhat of a renaissance under King Kenny are still struggling at home and it is this that will see them miss out on a top four spot if things do not change fast. With the addition of Granero, they would add some much needed fire power in the middle of the park, and legs willing to do the running and cover behind inspirational skipper Gerrard when he makes those frequent bursts forward.
The Merseyside club have been strongly linked with Granero in the last few days, with the player’s agent stating that Liverpool was a possibility, yet with the player and manager so keen to move Granero on, the January transfer window may come slightly too soon for Liverpool who are thought to want to wait until the Summer for the sought after player.
One club who are more than in need of someone like Granero to bolster their squad is Arsenal, who despite the return of Henry still look lacking at times- their recent away game at the liberty stadium being a prime example of this – and have lost players to the African cup of Nations to boot.
Although the player prefers to start in a more advanced position, he is the very definition of versatile, and is well capable of filling a defensive role in the middle of the park – and possesses a wicked shot on goal. Granero could be just the type of versatile player that Wenger needs, and has both the youth and experience to make a real impact for the Gunners. Granero also has a determination about him and a physicality that would not go a miss in the Arsenal midfield.
It would be a mistake for clubs and fans to discount Granero due to the lack of playing time he has under Jose Mourinho when essentially their squad is the best in Europe and Granero is just not fancied by Mourinho. What could be Real’s loss should, if they have any sense about them, be either Arsenal or Liverpool’s gain.
[divider]
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Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez has been boosted by the return of Maynor Figueroa ahead of Saturday’s game with Everton.Figueroa has missed the last two games with a suspension and Wigan conceded five goals in the defender’s absence.
And the manager believes the Honduran’s return has his squad fighting for places in the starting 11, a good sign as Wigan battle for their Premier League survival.
“You can see that competition and desire in the training ground,” Martinez said.
“Our biggest asset is the competition for places because we have a fully-fit squad and everyone is desperate to play a part.”
“That is where we need to carry on with the same focus and concentration and just making sure that we do everything we can in the next four games.”
Wigan have been near the foot of the table for most of the season but Martinez thinks that could turn out to be a positive thing.
As they have been struggling for so long, he thinks the players will not panic as the season draws to a close and that composure could be the thing that keeps them safe.
“I think it is nothing different for us because it is not like all of a sudden we have found ourselves in this situation,” Martinez said.
“We have been dealing with this situation for the last six months so from our point of view nothing changes.”
“I think we have found a very consistent level of performance in the last 10 games so in that respect that is all we need to do: carrying on with our level until the last game of the campaign.”
“Playing at home we really feel the support from the fans really helps us to perform to the best of our abilities.”
“We are really excited for Saturday knowing that Everton are a very experienced side, they are very competitive and unless we are at your best we will not be able to compete against them.”
With James Milner having finally departed to Man City for £16m plus Stephen Ireland, who went in the opposite direction, it would seem that the most obvious transfer of the summer has finally taken place, so while attempting to stay in the same vein, here are the 5 most obvious transfers yet to happen that spring to mind and their chances of going through before the end of the transfer window rated and assessed.
[divider]
1. Javier Mascherano – to Inter Milan/Barcelona – It’s been well documented that the fiery Argentine is on the lookout for a move elsewhere for family reasons, after his wife reportedly refused to settle on our fair shores, but the Liverpool board’s prerogative, as well it might be, has been not to baulk in the face of interest valuing the player at significantly less than themselves. Hodgson has repeatedly stated that unless the club’s £25m valuation is met with, then he won’t depart and for a player who’s undoubtedly the best at performing his role in the world, it seems a fair price.
With former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez now at Italian champions Inter Milan, and the Liverpool player already effusive in his praise of Benitez before conceding that he’s already started learning Italian in preparation ahead of the proposed move, the fee remains a stumbling block and Inter seem unwilling to part with their hard earned for anything more than £20m.
Barcelona have chased around all summer like a desperately scorned ex-lover, for the signature of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, but to no avail, and with the club stating, despite their debt problems, that they have at least £40m burning a hole in their pockets, it would seem that with the departure of Yaya Toure on a ludicrously hefty deal to moneybags Man City this summer, that a move is all but assured, especially considering their strong interest in Mascherano last summer.
Reports that Mascherano had been left out of the club’s Europa League tie at home to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor, because a deal is imminent appear to be extremely wide of the mark, as the player in question picked up a calf injury in the home game against Arsenal on Sunday, but a deal, if the valuation is met, which by Barca it might well be, still looks close, despite Liverpool’s admirable stance.
Chances of move to Inter 5/10, Chances of move to Barcelona 7/10
*
2. Shay Given to Arsenal/Fulham – All summer it looked as if Shay Given would remain as Man City’s number one and that despite rapid progress in returning from his shoulder operation, that Joe Hart was merely keeping the gloves warm ahead of his inevitable usurping. But an excellent performance in the opening game draw against Spurs at White Hart Lane from Hart appears to have put a spanner in the works.
‘Sources’ close to the player have released a comment in the Manchester Evening News stating that: “Shay is confused and torn over what to do. He only joined City 18 months ago and wanted to win things after 10 years at Newcastle. But he just wants to play and he doesn’t see Roberto Mancini leaving Hart out now, even if he makes a mistake. He’ll want to stand by his man. Shay is watching the situation with the goalkeepers at Arsenal at Fulham. A loan move might be something he’d consider but he’s finding it really difficult to know what to do. The last thing he wants to do is risk his place in the Ireland team.”
While this has to be taken, not with just a pinch of salt, but rather a whole dollop, both moves do make an awful lot of sense. Everyone can see that Arsenal need a strong number one, and they have done for as long as Alumnia has been between the sticks, particularly in light of his poor efforts at being beaten at his near post by a powerful David N’Gog effort to gift 10-man Liverpool the lead at the weekend.
But Wenger seems a stubborn old goat and his one word protestation in the post-match interview after the Liverpool draw of ‘no’ when asked the question of whether he’s likely so sign a new goalkeeper before the end of the transfer window, looks likely to have put paid to any hope that the Arsenal faithful may have harboured. Like I said, it makes sense, we can all see that, but Wenger seems to have either a blind spot everyone else can see, some sort of bizarre unwavering faith in Alumnia or he has some rather uncompromising photos of Arsene, for there really can be no other reason for his continued loyalty to a clearly inept keeper’. But Wenger seems like a man of his word, and I can’t see it happening to Arsenal.
Given to Fulham has a nicer ring to it, but the knock on effect of Wenger not moving for any goalkeeper, means that Mark Schwarzer’s transfer request to get a move going again was all for nothing, and without any other side sniffing around him, he looks likely to stay, and the need for Shay Given at Craven Cottage comes to an end. It’s all a transfer roundabout, if Wenger makes a move, then I can see Schwarzer going to Arsenal and Given to Fulham, but without it, expect everyone to stay put, for now at least.
Chances of Given to Arsenal and Fulham 3/10
Continued on Page TWO
3. Robbie Keane to Villa/West Ham/Everton – I thought Keane looked nailed on to go to Villa until O’Neill’s departure, and with things up in the air over there at the moment with concerns to who is in charge, with Kevin McDonald the favourite, it looks harder to foresee what transfer deals Lerner will sanction, the Stephen Ireland deal aside.
Keane has had either a fantastic pre-season or looked slow and off the pace depending on which Spurs fan you talk to, but it’s safe to say that Keane has failed to settle back in at White Hart Lane since his return quite how he would have hoped. Redknapp doesn’t appear to be a massive fan, despite signing him back, and whether it is a loan move or a sale, Keane could leave if Redknapp isn’t continually frustrated in his search for a new striker.
Keane had a decent game when brought on against Young Boys Bern on Tuesday night, and his introduction alongside Tom Huddlestone would suggest he’s still got a role to play in Europe, but without guaranteed football at the Lane, Keane may want another loan move, this time in the full eye of the entire Premiership, as opposed to the nether regions of Scotland, to display his talents.
West Ham are the latest club to have reportedly shown an interest and there are murmurings of a move to Everton around, with Moyes known to be a fan, despite his Liverpool connections. West Ham would probably be able to offer him a regular role but Spurs would be reluctant to let him leave to a rival club. Whereas Moyes, known to be in the market for another front man, with attacking midfielder Marat Izmailov on the radar at £4m, would perhaps fancy a cheaper Premiership proven man in Keane, but Villa still remain the favourites.
I can see Keane moving on loan to Villa until the end of the season as Redknapp once again delays making any real decision on the player’s long-term future.
Chances of Keane to Villa 8/10, West Ham 5/10, Everton 4/10
*
4. Roque Santa Cruz to Stoke/Liverpool/Fulham /West Ham or anyone else for that matter – The media has gone into a frenzy of sorts since the new Premiership rules were announced and after it become abundantly clear that there were going to have to be several big name departures down at Eastlands as Mancini desperately tries to trim his squad. Well step right up Roque Santa Cruz, a player on the fringe of the fringes at Man City, and a baffling signing in the first place from former manager Mark Hughes for a whopping £17.5m considering the other options available in his squad.
The move was always doomed to failure, as City simply have far too much money at their disposal for Santa Cruz to ever be a regular starter, he’s simply not big enough a name for them, and with the arrival of Roberto Mancini and his favourite Mario Balotelli from former club Inter, with the new striker already off the mark, there looks to be no return.
Prior to his move to City, Cruz struggled with injuries all season in 2008/9 as he failed to build on a successful debut season in England’s top flight, and he’s been blighted by them in his time at City too. The proposed exodus at City has taken place, but instead of the high profile transfer deals, sensibly by my reckoning, the majority of players have been allowed to leave on loan and that’s exactly the sort of move that’ll benefit Santa Cruz.
The teams in for his signature are supposedly Fulham, Liverpool, West Ham and Stoke. I personally can’t see the West Ham move coming off, but the links with Liverpool and Stoke have been strong all summer, and perhaps they’ve just been waiting to cash in on City’s desperation all summer with a significant lowering of the loan fee.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has hinted at a move for a player of Cruz’s pedigree by stating that he “wants to shake things up” at the Britannia Stadium, whereas Liverpool desperately need another striker added to their squad. Fulham have come into contention solely down to Mark Hughes’ arrival as Fulham manager and I’m afraid you’re going to see a lot of this 2+2=4 sort of journalism from the tabloids over the next week or so until deadline day, but Hughes has signed the player twice before and there is a dearth of forward talent at Fulham, so it does again make sense.
Cruz looks certain to depart, like he was always destined to, injuries have of course played their part, but they were dogging him before his move to City and quite frankly, he was never going to settle in at City and become a key player. He’ll move on loan before the end of the deadline as needs must, but the team that he’ll find himself at remains hazy at best, although I’d put Stoke as the favourites fractionally ahead of their rivals just down to manager Tony Pulis’ insistence that transfer deals need to be done and done quickly. City look to be operating on a first come first served basis and Stoke seem to want him the most, so for Stoke fans he could well be this summer’s Tuncay.
Chances of Roque Santa Cruz moving to Stoke 8/10, Liverpool 6/10, Fulham 7/10 and West Ham 4/10
Continued on Page THREE
5. Liverpool Football Club to Kenny Huang and the Chinese consortium, Syrian’s and Yahya Kirdi, or anyone else that’ll take them – Okay, so technically this could be considered cheating because it’s a club, and it can hardly be considered a straightforward transfer like the others listed above, but it’s been an ongoing issue for a couple of years now, and it finally looks as if something might actually happen for once, so it deserves it’s place and that’s final.
Liverpool fans could be forgiven for hardly believing their luck the last few weeks, after the surprise arrival of Joe Cole, promising sounds from new manager Roy Hodgson, the futures of messrs Gerrard and Torres sorted out for the time being, and finally some movement on the sale of the club.
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Christian Purslow the managing director of the club has since stated that any potential takeover won’t be rushed, which does seem to contradict Kenny Huang’s consortium’s wishes to get in charge before the end of the transfer window, but it seems a wise route to take.
Rumours that Huang is ready to walk away after the deal has somewhat stalled could be nothing more than a rushing tactic to get things moving again, and he remains the frontrunner. Whoever buys the club, because of the due diligence needed for a takeover of this magnitude, it seems unlikely that Hodgson will be handed any sort of transfer war chest that the newspapers like to prattle on about day after day until at least January.
The significant RBS interest payments that will shortly need to be paid by the club do mean that Hicks and Gillett will be keen to sell before August 31st, as it makes the club a more sellable asset and attractive proposition to clients, but Liverpool fans will have to ask themselves, if Huang is getting this impatient about buying the club and delivering transfer money to manager Hodgson, while enthusiastically pleasing as it may be, if he follows his promise to walk away if a deal is not reached before the end of the transfer deadline, is Huang the real deal or simply another false prophet with grandiose dreams?
There are numerous other interested parties and a sale looks likely to happen this time around, but I remain unconvinced that it’ll take place before the 31st and a timetable of around another two months would look a lot more reasonable. I think the club will be sold to Huang, but not for a while yet.
Chances of Liverpool FC sale before the end of the transfer window – 4/10
So what does everyone else think – will Keane hang around White Hart Lane? Are there any more obvious ones that you think that I’ve missed? You know the drill, post them below.
Written By James McManus
Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
There are so many wonderful aspects to the beautiful game, which we are entertained by week in week out. Whether its a glorious goal, a wonderful passing move, or an exceptional last minute challenge, we are extremely lucky to be able to witness such enjoyable feats every week in the game. However modern day football isn’t perfect and there is also a darker side which pervades across the sport and continually threatens to ruin our enjoyment of the game.
The game has come a long way in the last few decades and whilst it still provides a great spectacle, a lot of the changes that have come into the game have negatively affected the sport. The sport is now filled with frustrating rules and aspects that threaten to ruin our enjoyment of the game. Petty rules can end up spoiling the game as we just want to see the fairest match possible. A lack of certain rules can also threaten our enjoyment of the game, as some players take advantage of this, and try in any way they can to gain an advantage for their sides. Poor behaviour by certain players is another negative aspect of modern day football and something which needs to be cracked down upon.
The game now seems overrun with certain aspects that blight matches every single week and if we aren’t careful to get a grip on some of these aspects by either changing the rules, bringing in new rules or dealing out harsher punishments for those bringing the game into disrepute, then these aspects will continue to ruin our enjoyment of the sport.
Click below to see the top 10 worst aspects of football:
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FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.